Lamentations of the Heart
by shinedown
Summary: Eve had never thought about herself before. To her, she was merely an empress of a ruined kingdom trying to revive it yet again. But along comes a boy who brings thoughts and feelings to her attention she would otherwise have ignored. Can she learn to accept them as well as his own? Or will she turn him away and live with the regret?


Lamentation of the Heart

An Eve x Chung fanfic

Written by: shinedown

Disclaimer: I don't own Elsword, and neither was this written to gain any sort of profit (duh. But I might as well say as much, I suppose). I only own this plot.

Note: Another preview. I'm gonna edit this, but I just wanted to know your thoughts first.

She couldn't understand why he had done it at first. Why he endangered his life for the sake of her own. She could easily have been repaired; Ophelia had been equipped with the knowledge to do so in the event something ever happened to her. He was human, however, and humans were not as easily fixable as machines. His destroyer now lay in pieces, his Freitunier shattered, leaving behind a bloody, scraped body with one arm twisted at an impossible angle, two broken ribs and a fractured pelvis. Oberon raced across the battlefield disabling nasods as he worked furiously to get back to his mistress. Elsword and Raven were busy fending off more nasods while Aisha and Rena fought to take down the el extractors littered across the field.

So why had he done it? When it came to raw strength, he was the one to look to. He blew away nasods with just his voice, swinging his destroyer in lethal arcs, utilizing every ounce of his strength to help take down the tyrant who had dared use her people to start a senseless war against the humans. And for what? What did fighting fleshy, fragile creatures amount to? As she examined the extent of the boy's injuries and helped him get into a more comfortable position, Eve felt something stir within her. Not sure as to what to call this new feeling, she decided to let it be. It wouldn't do to lose her composure over something like this. Best to take care of the situation before letting her mind wander.

But she couldn't help _but_ to let it wander. Why had he stepped in to take the brunt of that attack? Surely he didn't think he was doing her some good, did he? She didn't need a useless, damaged body on the battlefield, she needed her friend, her protector, her…what was he to her, exactly? Eve couldn't say for sure. Rena was much like a sister, always teasing her and hugging her and listening when she needed to chat. Aisha was like a younger sibling and a best friend; her energetic attitude was infectious at times and caused Eve to smile more often than she would have liked. Raven was scary, 'nuff said. But there were times when he was civil enough to her to hold a short conversation or he would come to her for regular maintenance of his arm. Elsword was…well, Elsword.

Oberon, sensing him mistress's distress, fell back from the front line and stuck close to her. For a moment, Eve was overtaken by fury as she slowly walked toward the weakened King Nasod. Unable to lift even his arms, she strode meaningfully toward the exposed power train, pent up emotions stirring in her chest and affecting her mind much like she imagined Raven must feel from time to time. Hurting someone dear to her was not something she liked very much, and something she certainly would not allow to go unpunished. "Oberon," She spoke calmly, almost too calm. Oberon bowed to his queen as she looked in his direction. She smiled faintly. She would have to reward him well for what she was about to ask him to do. It was an imperfect program with some bugs, and she hadn't had time to test it fully. Well, what better time to get results than now? "Initiate attack program "Genocide Ripper"."

And just like that, Oberon was gone in a flash and returned a few seconds later, bowing yet again. Eve frowned, feeling as though her efforts had been for naught, but when King Nasod didn't respond and the power train fell apart and the large el gem came rolling from its previous cage, the faintest trace of a smile could be seen on her face.

Dazed eyes followed the movements of the all too calm Nasod empress, followed closely by her two attendants. Oberon followed her command to carefully pick up the broken boy who had guarded her with his body and Ophelia collected the pieces of his shattered weapon. And all too soon a buzzer, and a voice announcing the activation of the core's self-destruct sequence broke the silence. Everyone shuffled to get out, though the only one complaining for something other than his own life seemed to be Elsword. Raven wrestled the boy under an arm and carried him away while Rena and Aisha contemplated a way to move it safely, and how. The result was teleportation, though Aisha made it clear that after she did it, she wanted no one to bother her while she took a break.

Eve didn't seem all that worried for the moment, at least not about herself. Her sensors indicated that the boy's life signs were dropping rapidly and they needed an exit and soon if she had any hope of saving the boy who had saved her from being crushed. Her mind wandered constantly, slipping back to the boy's foolish actions. Why had he done that? What purpose did it serve? Did he intend to go down in their memories as the martyr who saved the Nasod Queen from harm? That was certainly an idiotic way to go. Humans naturally sought glory when their paths lead them to fight upon the battlefield, and there was hardly any glory in serving as the shield of the one whose people is your enemy. It was foolish and stupid, if anything.

"So then, why?" Eve found herself saying as they came a safe distance from the Core. Frowning to herself as she glanced at the injured boy in Oberon's arms, she couldn't help but detect something hidden in his motive. Or at least, it seemed hidden to her. Perhaps she was merely tired and needed a break for a while to collect herself, but what if his actions meant…more? What if they had a more sentimental value than just protecting her from harm? Could she answer him honestly if he were to ask something of her in return? Would she be able to supply whatever it is that he wanted of her? Surely as a Queen she had been prepared to repay any debts she owed, but of this manner? What then? Eve wasn't sure herself.

Deep in her thoughts, she was unaware that Oberon eagerly awaited his reward and Ophelia was straining under the weight of the Destroyer pieces, nor was she made aware of her own fatigue and that of her comrades until Aisha collapsed on the ground breathing heavily until she passed out and Rena sank to her knees and heaved a heavy sigh of relief. Raven seemed fine, though she knew better than to take his indifference lightly, and Elsword seemed much more relaxed now that the El was safe, but she could tell he wanted to pass out all the same.

Chung stirred in Oberon's arms, wincing in pain, as his injuries became known to the broken boy. He looked frantically for Eve, and when he spotted her nearby, he relaxed and smiled. "Good, you're unhurt. I'm so glad…" The boy managed weakly. Were it not for the warning signs flashing, Eve would have struck him much harder than she had Elsword when they first met. Where the hell did he get off looking so satisfied with himself? Did he not understand that he was _hurt_ because of her? Did he have no shame?! He seemed to sense what she was thinking, because his smile dropped almost as soon as it appeared. "Eve…you're not mad are you? It's okay, I'll be fine."

"My sensors seem to detect otherwise." She responded, more harshly than she had intended. "You have a broken arm, two broken ribs while the rest are fractured, like your pelvis. You were a fool to get hurt in my place. I could have had Ophelia repair me easily. You are a human, you are fragile and need to take better care!"

"So, you were worried then. At least I can rest a lot easier, now." He smiled again, triggering Eve's automatic reaction to slap him yet harder still for his words, but resisted the urge, tempting though it may be. Worry had nothing to do with it! And how the hell did he come up with that assumption anyway? If she were truly worried, she would be in tears crying over him, not wishing to harm him further for being so…infuriating! "I wasn't thinking," Chung began, using his good arm to cover his face as he strained a tiny laugh. "I saw him swinging his arm at you and I just rushed to push you out of the way. Next thing I know, I'm being flattened by a giant metal hand. I just wanted you to be safe, that's all.

"But why? I could easily have overwritten their codes and had them attack you all and leave me unharmed." Eve asked.

"But you didn't."

"Yes, but—"

"Eve, you're a kind person. You pretend to be emotionless, but you really do care. That's what I like about you." The blonde boy said, smiling brightly at her. Ophelia pinched his cheek hard in warning, and Oberon loosened his grip on the boy slightly, making his slip slightly. Eve's face remained blank, but she seemed more shaken by those words than she showed. What did he mean by that exactly? Did he mean that in a friendly way or…? She would have inquired about this, but whether faking or simply exhausted, Chung passed out.

"Let us find shelter for the night so that I can properly tend to his wounds and we may all take a much needed break." Eve said, leading the way back across the plains. It was oddly serene without the constant attack, and since no animals save for the ponggos existed on Altera, they didn't have to worry about the local wildlife either. Ophelia set to work pitching tents and getting a fire started while Oberon never left Eve's side. Chung was laid on what clean sheets they had and bandaged up as well as they could manage with their supplies and then dinner was served.


End file.
